


I'm Still Here

by virgils-anxiety (lostboyxan), wisepuma23



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Adoption, Attempted Murder, Cussing, Foster Care, Gen, M/M, Murder, Patton and Logan are the best dads, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-05-23 04:20:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostboyxan/pseuds/virgils-anxiety, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisepuma23/pseuds/wisepuma23
Summary: After surviving physical and emotional trauma from his parents, Virgil is adopted by Patton and Logan Sanders, who are looking to help him. Unfortunately, Virgil doesn’t want to be helped. He doesn’t trust anybody anymore, and he just wants to be left alone.





	1. Chapter 1

Virgil wasn’t usually seen by others as “normal”. No, he was  _ feared _ , by adults and children alike. No one knew much about him -- he kept his story hidden, but he was infamous for his short temper and his manic outbursts.

It had been 3 months since he was placed in foster care. After a seemingly traumatic incident with his parents, a few police officers brought the eleven year old boy to “Marianne’s Home for Teens”. Although Virgil technically was not a teenager, Marianne took in children as young as ten years old.

Marianne sensed something off about Virgil almost immediately. She could tell he had seen his share of horrible trauma just by looking in the boy’s dark eyes. The police officers had briefed her on his scenario when he was brought in -- his mother had gone insane and killed his father, then attempted to kill her own son.

Virgil didn’t speak. Marianne had introduced herself, trying to make him feel welcomed, but Virgil didn’t even look her in the eye. Usually, Marianne would have seen this as a sign of disrespect, but she knew his circumstances and decided to let it slide.

Now, over three months later, Virgil pushed away anyone who tried to help him. He ignored the other teens and he usually stayed in his room for hours, scribbling away in a small composition notebook that he had brought with him.

Today, there was another opportunity for families to come in and meet these teens, who they could potentially adopt. Marianne wished that Virgil would allow the nice couples a chance to get to know him, but he shunned almost every person he came across.

Marianne genuinely felt bad for him. He was only eleven years old, yet he acted like some of the seventeen year olds she had dealt with in the past. She was worried that he’d had to grow up too fast. She only knew about what had happened to him on the day he was brought in, but she assumed that the rest of his days with his parents had not been luxurious.

Virgil did not like to talk about his parents. According to him, they were “hypocritical assholes” who tried to kill him. That’s all the information he would share about them, and Marianne wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know more.

Today, a married couple was coming in to meet some younger teens. That meant that Virgil would likely have to meet them, and he didn’t like that idea. These people couldn’t seem to understand: he wasn’t good for them. He would just be a burden on everyone, and they would probably get so fed up with him that they would either send him back or… worse.

Marianne knocked on Virgil’s door only a few minutes after 10am. The couple would be arriving soon, and she wanted to make sure he was ready. There were only 3 other children -- two boys and a girl -- who would be meeting them. Virgil knew that they were more likely to be adopted than he was. He didn’t mind that, really. He didn’t want another family to suffer because of him.

“Virgil, honey, come on out. Are you dressed?” Marianne called. Virgil sighed, closing his notebook. He stood up and shuffled to the door, swinging it open just as Marianne was about to knock again.

“Oh good, you’re dressed,” she smiled, glancing at Virgil’s typical outfit of jeans and a hoodie. Virgil nodded slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Come on, the Sanders family is almost here.” She reached out to place her hand on his back as he stepped out of the room, but he quickly evaded her touch, meeting her eyes with a glare.

Marianne held her hands up in surrender. “Right, sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly. “No touching.”

Virgil hunched his shoulders and gave her a curt nod, following her as she led him down the hallway and into the living room. The other kids glanced up at him for a moment when he entered, but they all quickly diverted their gazes when he frowned at them.

“We’re just waiting for the Sanders to get here, then we’ll begin,” Marianne said, and the other children nodded in acceptance. Virgil sat on the far end of the couch, curling in on himself. Maybe he could just become invisible. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with this shit every few weeks.

Marianne smiled as another car pulled in the driveway, and she quickly headed out the door to meet them. Virgil did his best to distract himself as he felt the other children staring at him. He fumbled through his pockets, looking for his headphones. His heart skipped a beat when he realized they weren’t there. He must have left them on his desk. He did his best to avoid drawing attention to himself -- even though he knew the others were already watching him -- as he stood from the couch and did his best to calmly walk back to his bedroom to retrieve his headphones.

Just as he reached the hallway, Marianne stepped back into the room with two men, who Virgil assumed were the Sanders.

“Ah, Virgil, perfect! You can go first!” She clapped her hands together, leading him and the two men into a small room. It was meant to be an office, but it doubled as a meeting room for these occasions.

Virgil rolled his eyes, following her into the room. The men sat in the two chairs on the far side of the table, while Virgil stood in the corner awkwardly.

“Virgil, have a seat,” Marianne said, motioning to the chair that sat on the opposite side of the table. “Meet the Sanders.”

Virgil sighed, sitting in the chair across from the two men. He examined them for a moment -- the one on the left wore a light blue polo with a grey cardigan tied loosely around his neck. He wore glasses and had a cheerful expression on his face. The other man wore a black polo with a blue tie. He also wore glasses, but he looked much more serious than his husband.

“Hiya, kiddo! My name’s Patton, and this is my husband, Logan,” the cardigan-clad man smiled, extending his hand toward Virgil, offering a handshake. Virgil leaned back in his chair, keeping his hands in his pockets.

“I don’t like being touched,” he said. His voice was soft, yet firm. Logan raised an eyebrow at him, while Patton shot a concerned glance at Marianne. She gave them an apologetic glance from the doorway.

“Well, I’ll let you boys get acquainted. I’ll be out here if you need anything,” she said, stepping into the hallway and closing the door, leaving Virgil alone with two strangers. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Patton spoke again.

“So, Virgil,” he began. “Tell us about yourself. How long have you been here?”

Virgil was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking about the answer. “Three,” he finally replied.

“Three?” Logan asked. “Three what?”

“Months,” Virgil muttered, his eyes scanning the details of the wooden table between them.

“How old are you, Virgil?” Patton asked.

“Eleven.”

“Do you like it here?”

“Not really.”

“Do you have any hobbies?”

“I don’t know. I guess I like poetry.”

“Really? Logan loves poetry, too!”

Virgil sighed, these were the same, boring questions that everyone always asked.

“Do you go to school?”

“Mhm.”

“What grade are you in?”

“Sixth.”

“Do you like your teachers?”

Virgil took a deep breath. “Look, you’re not going to get to know me very well if these are the kinds of questions you’re asking,” he snapped. “So, why don’t you just ask the questions we both know you really want to ask?”

“What… what do you mean, Virgil?” Patton asked. Virgil glanced up at the men. Patton had that same concerned look on his face, while Logan looked surprised. That was the most Virgil had spoken during this entire meeting.

“Ask me why I’m here. Or why I don’t like to be touched. Ask me why the other kids look at me with fear in their eyes, or why Marianne always looks so apologetic whenever she’s dealing with me. I know you want to know. That’s all anyone ever wants to know.”

“Virgil,” Logan started. “We don’t care about what others think of you. We just want to get to know the  _ real _ you.”

“We want to help you, kiddo,” Patton told him with a sweet smile.

Virgil crossed his arms over his chest and collapsed against the back of his chair. “I don’t want to be helped. I just want everyone to leave me alone. I want people to stop worrying about me. Everyone just pities me, and I hate it,” Virgil growled.

“Then I suppose we’re done here,” Logan said. Virgil look at him in shock. A glimpse of pain could be seen in Virgil’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of annoyance.

“Whatever. I guess we are,” he muttered, standing abruptly from his chair. “Have fun adopting one of the others. I hope you give them a good home.”

He yanked the door open, quickly escaping from the room. He moved quickly down the hall towards his room, ignoring Marianne’s calls for him to stop.


	2. Chapter 2

Virgil almost screamed in frustration as he slammed his bedroom door behind him. He screwed it up  _ again _ . Marianne kept telling him to stop pushing people away, but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t sure who to trust anymore, not after what his parents put him through. He didn’t want to experience that again, and he certainly didn’t want to make anyone suffer because of him.

Virgil kicked his shoes off and violently shrugged himself out of his jacket. That was just one more reason why no one would ever want him. He had too many issues, including anger. He found himself easily frustrated, and whenever it happened, he just needed to be left alone.

Virgil thought it would just be best for everyone if he was put in some sort of solitary confinement. Then no one would have to deal with him and he wouldn’t have to interact with anyone.

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down. He wished he could run away, but he knew he would always end up back here. He’d tried it once before, only two weeks after the police had brought him here. It only took half an hour for him to be returned to Marianne, who was fuming and lectured him for what seemed like hours.

Virgil glanced at the desk, spotting the headphones he’d forgotten earlier. Maybe if he hadn’t forgotten the headphones, then he wouldn’t have had to be the first one to meet with Logan and Patton, and the whole situation could have been avoided. He shook his head, knowing that wasn’t true. Something still would have gone wrong, because that was just his luck.

He snatched the headphones off his desk and threw himself onto his bed, pulling his iPod out of his pocket. Music always helped to calm him down. It didn’t matter if it was rock or classical -- he always found himself significantly calmer when he played music.

He played a random playlist of songs and leaned against the wall, he closed his eyes and worked to control his breathing.

There was a soft knock at his door, and he had barely heard it over his music. He cracked his eyes open slightly, staring at the door and willing the person on the other side to just go away.

“Virgil,” Marianne’s voice called. “Can I come in?”

Virgil hesitated for a moment and sighed. “I just want to be left alone.”

“Alright, hon. I’ll come to check on you after all the meetings, okay?”

Virgil threw his head back against the wall. He wished he could just make one good impression on someone. Then maybe he could be adopted.

_ But you’re worthless, you know that, _ a voice in his head told him.  _ You’re a burden. You cause nothing but pain. _

“Shut up,” he whispered to himself. His head snapped forward, glancing at the bedroom door and silently hoping that Marianne had already walked away. When he heard no response from her, he sighed in relief.

Virgil found his eyes slowly slipping closed. His outburst seemed to take a lot of energy out of him. He allowed himself to fall onto his pillow, his worries and anger slowly slipping away as his music carried him into a deep sleep.

 

After meeting with the other three kids, Patton and Logan sat alone in the small office.

“Patton, you cannot be serious,” Logan said, a bewildered look in his eyes.

“Lo, trust me, I saw something in that boy. I think he really needs us,” Patton pleaded, taking his husband’s hand.

Logan shook his head. “Did you not hear him, Patton? He told us he wants to be left alone.”

“But Lo, didn’t you see the hurt in his eyes? I could tell that he was trying to mask his pain. He put up a strong facade because he didn’t want us to pity him,” Patton explained. “He… reminded me of you.”

Logan scoffed. The other children may not have been the best fit for their household, but Patton couldn’t really be considering adopting  _ Virgil _ of all four kids they’d met with.

“Logan, look at me,” Patton said. Logan turned to him, immediately noticing the firm look in his eyes. “When we started this process, we agreed that we would  _ help _ a child. This is supposed to be beneficial to  _ him _ , not necessarily to us.”

Logan sighed. Patton was correct. They agreed that they would take in a child who seemed to really need them, and… yes, Logan supposed that child would be Virgil.

“So, what are we going to do if we cannot handle his temper? What if he spirals out of control?” Logan asked. “We cannot exactly bring him back here.”

“We’ll make it work, Lo,” Patton whispered. “It’ll take some time, but I really think we can help him.”

Logan sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright,” he surrendered. “If you think this is best, then I will not go against your judgement.”

Immediately, a smile overtook Patton’s previously firm expression. He threw his arms around Logan’s neck, pulling him into a hug. “I think this will be really good for him. For all of us.”

“I sure hope so,” Logan said, returning the hug. They pulled apart as Marianne opened the door, smiling at them.

“How did everything go?” She asked. Patton smiled at Logan, squeezing his hand.

“Everything went great. I think we’ve made a decision.”

“Really? Oh, that’s wonderful!” Marianne beamed, clapping her hands together.

Logan nodded at her. “Yes, we have decided to adopt Virgil.”

Marianne’s smile faltered a bit. “Virgil? You mean… the young boy you met first? Brown hair? Purple shirt?’

Logan nodded, brows furrowed. “Yes, that would be the Virgil that I am referring to. Is there a problem?”

“No, no! Not at all! I’m just a bit… shocked, I supposed,” Marianne said. “If I may ask, why have you decided to adopt Virgil?”

“Well, we think he deserves a chance to be happy just as much as these other children do,” Patton began. “I can tell that he is very reserved. Probably has a tragic past. We want to be able to give him a fresh start, even if he doesn’t think he deserves it.”

Marianne’s eyes widened, and she could feel a few tears forming. Yes, this is exactly what Virgil needed. She was ecstatic to know that there were people who really did care about Virgil. He deserved a second chance.

“Oh, this is so perfect!” She exclaimed, her hands over her heart. “I’ll start getting the legal paperwork together, and hopefully he can come home with you in just a few weeks!”

 

Virgil hadn’t really expected to fall asleep, considering it was still rather early in the day. He woke up as Marianne knocked on his door once again. He sat up, he rubbed his eyes and groaned.

“Virgil! Open the door, sweetie! I have excellent news!” Marianne exclaimed. Virgil froze for a moment. Excellent news? For him?

Hesitant, Virgil stepped onto the wooden floor and shuffled towards his bedroom door. What kind of news could Marianne possibly have for him? He twisted the doorknob, pulling the door open. He was met by Marianne, who wore a large smile on her face.

“Uh, what’s up?” He asked, slightly suspicious.

“The Sanders have decided to adopt you, Virgil! You’re finally going to have a good home!”

Virgil froze. No, this couldn’t be true. They hated him, right?

“Isn’t this wonderful, darling?” Marianne asked, oblivious to Virgil’s tension.

_ But… but… _

“But I was so rude to them,” Virgil whispered. “How could they want me?”

Marianne’s expression softened, and she kneeled down to be at the boy’s level. “They saw something in you that people seem to have trouble with seeing. They saw the real you. The kind, compassionate, wonderful boy who hides behind a mask of anger and hatred.”

Virgil frowned. “Tch. I doubt it. They just… pity me. Everyone pities me.”

“Virgil, honey, that’s not true,” Marianne said softly. “The Sanders seem to really care about you.”

Virgil opened his mouth to respond, but decided against it. “Whatever,” he muttered instead.

Marianne stared at him sadly for a moment before standing again. “They’re going to come back in a week to check up on you before placement.”

Virgil’s head snapped up toward her. “What?” He asked, bewildered. “Why?”

“Well, they both have work all week and can’t come all the way out here again until next weekend, so-”

“No, I mean,” Virgil interjected. “Why come visit me?”

Marianne gave him a confused look. “Virgil, you’re going to be their son now. Of course they’re gonna want to see you.”

Virgil flinched at her words. He wasn’t their son. He was nobody’s son. His ties as a son were cut immediately after  _ that night _ .

Marianne reached her hand out to him. “Virgil, honey-”

“Stop,” he said, backing away from her. “ _ Don’t _ touch me.”

“Right. I’m sorry,” she whispered. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence between them, and Virgil wished she would just leave him alone. Luckily, his wish seemed to come true.

“Well, we’re going to have a late lunch soon. Are sandwiches okay?” She asked, backing up to his door. Virgil nodded, refusing to meet her eyes.

“Okay, honey. I’ll come get you in a bit.”

Virgil denied until his dying day that he cried after she closed that door.


	3. Chapter 3

“Are you ready to go, Virgil?” Marianne asked him as he stepped into the living room. “I think they’re almost here.”

Virgil sighed, tossing his bag onto the couch and sitting down. “Yeah, I guess.”

_ “This is all you have?” Patton had asked when Virgil took him and Logan into his room. “Where… where’s all your stuff?” _

_ “Right here.” Virgil shrugged, pointing to his desk. A small backpack sat there next to a notebook and an iPod. _

_ “Do you have clothes?” Logan asked, still glancing around the bare room. Virgil walked to his dresser, pulling out a single drawer. _

_ Patton tsked. “Well, kiddo, we’ll fix this little problem.” _

_ “No, Pa- uh, Mr. Sanders. It’s fine, really. I’m okay with what I have.” _

_ Patton smiled. “You can just call me Patton, kiddo. No need to be formal,” he said. “But don’t worry, Virgil, we’ll be sure to buy you more clothes, as well as anything else you may need.” _

Virgil didn’t understand. Why were these people being so  _ nice _ to him? Why couldn’t they just adopt one of the others and spare themselves the pain of dealing with him?

He still hadn’t said much to Logan and Patton when they came to see him after the meeting. They had brushed it off, assuming he was just shy or in shock. But, in reality, Virgil had hoped he could drive them away before they got sucked in.

“Alright, there they are!” Marianne smiled as she spotted the Sanders’ car pulling into the driveway.

“Marianne… I’m not technically their son yet, right?” Virgil asked. Marianne raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well, no, not  _ legally _ , but you’re still part of their family now, no matter what.”

_ Good, _ Virgil thought.  _ As long as I’m not legally their responsibility, I can still save them. I can still get away. _

“Virgil, what’s wrong? Aren’t you excited?” Marianne asked, sitting next to him on the couch. Virgil shrugged.

“I’m fine,” he muttered. Marianne gave him a firm, knowing look.

“Now, you and I both know that’s not true. Come on, hon, tell me what’s wrong,” she said softly.

Virgil sighed, glancing at the floor and fiddling with a loose string on his jacket. “I just… what if they realize I’m a bother? What if they send me back? Or… what if they…”

Marianne’s expression saddened when she noticed Virgil shrink in on himself at the last statement. She was about to offer words of comfort, but there was a knock at the door that broke her from her train of thought. She glanced back at Virgil, who suddenly looked slightly scared. She sighed, walking to the door to greet Logan and Patton.

Virgil heard their happy exchange of “Hello!”s and “Good to see you again!”s, and it made him feel even worse, for some reason. Perhaps he was worried that they were putting on an act, pretending that they were happy to adopt him, when in reality, they knew he’d be a burden. He would cause pain and suffering in their lives, just like he did with his parents, and-

“Virgil, say hello!” Marianne was suddenly standing next to him, and Patton and Logan were still standing near the entrance. Patton waved with excitement at him, and Logan offered a soft smile.

Virgil wished he could have just become part of the couch at that point. He felt  _ horrible _ \-- they were going to suffer at his expense, and there was nothing he could do to convince them to just leave him somewhere, away from everyone he could possibly hurt.

“Ready, Virgil?” Patton asked him, still grinning with happiness. Virgil held in a sigh as he stood from the couch, pulling his backpack over his shoulder.

“Here, I can take that for you,” Logan offered, stepping toward him and reaching his hand out to take the bag. Virgil flinched immediately, bringing his hands up.

“ _ No! _ ” He yelled, and all three adults froze. He glanced up at them, taking a shaky breath as he realized what he just did.

_ Too much emotion, you showed them too much emotion, they’re gonna pity you, you idiot, why did you do that, toomuchemotionthey’regonnapityyouidiotwhydidyoudothat- _

“Alright,” Logan nodded, holding his hands up to show Virgil he meant no harm. Virgil looked at Marianne, who had a sad look on her face as she recognized Virgil’s action. He had done the same exact thing to her on one of the first nights after he arrived there.

“Don’t touch me” was probably Virgil’s most common phrase in the last three months.

“Do you want to say goodbye to your friends before we go?” Patton asked him. Virgil scoffed. Yeah, right. Like he had any friends. He shook his head, shrugging.

“Well, we can wait outside and give you a moment before we leave. How does that sound?” Logan asked, already moving toward the door. Virgil hesitated and then nodded, turning to glance at Marianne.

He waited until the two men had left the building before speaking up. “Marianne… thank you,” he whispered. She smiled, warm like the sun, and kneeled down to his level.

“Of course, hon. If you ever need me, you can call, alright?” Virgil nodded at her. He could feel tears starting to well up in his eyes, but he wiped them away. Marianne was one of the only people in his life who showed any genuine care towards him and didn’t pity him. She knew he had a good heart.

“Hon, I know you aren’t really fond of touching, but would you like a hug?” She said.

Virgil froze for a moment.  _ Did _ he want a hug? He hadn’t hugged someone in a few  _ years _ at this point. He… wasn’t really sure he remembered what it felt like.

A pause, then he nodded, and she opened her arms for him, allowing him to set the boundaries. He hesitantly stepped closer, wrapping his arms loose around her neck and letting them hang. She gently pressed her hands against his back, and he sighed.  _ This _ was the kind, loving physical contact that he always read about. He could hardly remember the feeling. Wow.

When they pulled apart, Marianne gave him a watery smile, eyes filled with tears. “I’ll uh,” she began, taking a moment to compose herself. “I’ll tell the others that you said goodbye.”

Virgil shrugged. “Don’t bother, they never liked me anyway.” He began walking away before Marianne could protest his statement. “Bye, Marianne. Thank you, really.”

“Of course, Virgil. Call me anytime you need me, okay?”

He gave her a brief nod before stepping out of the door.

“Ready to go, kiddo?” Patton asked. Virgil took a deep breath.

“I guess so,” he mumbled. As they walked toward the car, Virgil couldn’t help glancing back once more at the home. Sure, he had only been there for a few months, but it was more of a home to him than he’d ever had.

_ Don’t worry,  _ the voice in his head said.  _ You’ll be back soon enough. Logan and Patton will get tired of you, and they’ll send you back. _

Virgil immediately shook his head, clearing his thoughts before turning around to catch up with Logan and Patton, who had already reached the car.

“The drive is about an hour long, Virgil. Can you handle that?” Patton asked, opening the back door for the boy.

Virgil shot a glare at Patton. Was he…  _ scrutinizing _ Virgil? Of course he was. Why wouldn’t he?

“Yes,  _ Patton _ , I think I can handle that,” Virgil shot back. Patton glanced at Logan in confusion, but Logan just shrugged in annoyance, already knowing that he would have many arguments against Virgil’s attitude and behavior. Logan walked around to the driver’s side of the car while Patton and Virgil got settled, doing his best to ignore Virgil’s attitude. Snark gave him a headache. 

Once Virgil was secured in the backseat, Patton closed the door for him and sat himself in the passenger seat next to Logan. As Logan started the car, Patton glanced back at the boy in the backseat.

“Ready, sport?” He asked, hoping to lift Virgil’s mood.

“Yup,” Virgil replied, popping the ‘p’ and frowning at Patton.

“Is there an issue, Virgil?” Logan asked as he watched the exchange in the rearview mirror.

“No, not at all.” Virgil shrugged. “I’m  _ great _ .”

Logan did his best to refrain from rolling his eyes. That was  _ childish _ behavior and it was something he advised his students against. His headache grew. 

The three sat in agonizing silence for about fifteen minutes of the car ride before Virgil spoke again.

“So why me?” He asked simply. Logan glanced at him for a moment in the mirror.

“What do you mean?”

“You had three other options. Why choose me? I mean, I know Sarah can get a bit talkative, and Marty and Lucas get aggressive, but they still would have been better choices than  _ me _ ,” Virgil explained. “I’m… I’m not good.”

“Kiddo,” Patton spoke up. “Our reason for adopting you wasn’t because we didn’t like the other kids. We wanted to have the chance to help you.”

Virgil scoffed. “I don’t need help. I’m fine.”

Patton decided not to respond, and Virgil didn’t speak for the rest of the trip. Patton and Logan spoke to each other, but Virgil tuned it out. It was just boring adult stuff, anyway.

Virgil opted to listen to music on his iPod rather than sitting in his own silence. He unzipped his backpack from where it sat in his lap and he rummaged through it, feeling for the tiny tablet and wires. He finally found it under the mass of clothing he had stuffed into his backpack this morning before leaving with Logan and Patton.

He placed the earbuds in his ears as he searched through the iPod for a decent playlist. He always told himself he would try new music, but he always ended up picking the same old playlist anyway.

Virgil allowed himself to relax as the music filled his ears. He leaned his head back against the seat as he watched the scenery pass by. This was it. He was adopted.

_ But not for long, _ the voice teased. Virgil’s jaw clenched and he quickly turned the music up, drowning out his intruding thoughts. He decided to distract himself by watching the clouds.

He loved cloudy weather. It seemed perfect. He didn’t necessarily like rain, but he liked the calmness that a sky full of clouds emitted. Sometimes, he would sit by his bedroom window, watching as the clouds rolled by. Occasionally, he could make out shapes in the clouds.

The clouds soothed him, and he found himself slowly dozing off, despite the loud music in his ears. He never fell asleep completely, however. He seemed to balance on the thin line between being awake and being in a deep sleep. He could still hear his music, but it was distant. The melody flowed through him, but the lyrics escaped his mind entirely.

He remained undisturbed until the car stopped. Virgil’s eyes snapped open, ready to assess the danger, but all he saw was a large house. He suddenly remembered where he was and why. He pulled his earbuds out as he gazed at the magnificent home.

“Virgil?” Patton asked from the front seat. “Are you awake, kiddo?”

Virgil hummed in reply.

“We’re home,” Logan said, turning off the car engine and opening his door before pausing and turning to Virgil. “Ready?”

Virgil took a shaky breath, then nodded.

“Let’s go, then.” Logan stepped out of the car, and shut his door behind him. Virgil slowly unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his own door. Patton smiled at him as he stepped out of the car. Virgil couldn’t take his eyes off of the house in front of him. It was beautiful, really. A light brown color coating the exterior caused it to stand out from the other houses, but Virgil didn’t mind that. The house stood out, just like Virgil did to Logan and Patton.

The young boy almost found himself smiling. This was going to be his home now. He was adopted. He would have a  _ family _ .

Suddenly, the intrusive thoughts invaded once again.

_ Be careful, Virgil, _ they said.  _ You might screw it up. You cause pain. Remember that. _

Virgil huffed, clutching his backpack to his chest as he followed Logan and Patton inside.

The house was much larger on the inside.  _ Whoa _ . Virgil saw a staircase leading upstairs in front of him. To the left, Virgil could see a cozy-looking living room that had a kitchen attached to it through an archway. To the right, there was only a heavy-looking door that Virgil assumed led to the garage.

“Come on, we’ll show you around!” Patton smiled, and Virgil slowly traipsed behind him. They entered the living room, allowing Virgil to have a better view of it. There was a large couch against the far wall, with a T.V. against the opposite wall. Above the couch hung a few family photos that Virgil made a point to avoid. There was a small desk that allowed a person to gaze out the window and into the front yard while sitting there. In the back right corner, Virgil could see a door leading to a dimly lit bathroom. At the far back of the room, there was an archway that led to the kitchen. It was rather large, with counters surrounding half of the room. An island sat in the middle of it, with a few bar stools near it. On the other side of the room, there was a sliding glass door that led to the backyard and a large dining table that could seat six people.

_ Family dinners, _ he thought. Those would be interesting. His parents never had dinner at the table. They were either too drunk to make dinner or they just sat on the couch yelling at the TV.

Marianne usually asked all of the kids to attend meals at the table together, but Virgil rarely ever did, and Marianne didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.

However, he figured it was best to actually enjoy meals with his new… guardians. It was worth a shot. He didn’t want to be a burden on them. Not ever again will he be a burden. He did it once and it was enough. Virgil shuddered.

“You alright, kiddo?”

“I said, I’m fine.” Virgil said, “Where’s my room?”


	4. Chapter 4

Virgil set his backpack under the bed where it could be left safe and hidden. He needed it there just in cases. His room wasn’t the largest, but it was spacious enough. There was a desk sitting underneath the window on the far wall with a bed placed adjacent to it. The closet was on the right wall and a dresser was pressed up against the wall that contained the main doorway.. It wasn’t too bad, not at all, it even looked expensive. Virgil whistled as he looked around. He fell back onto his bed. 

So, this was home now. 

“Kiddo, come down to dinner!” 

Virgil let out a big sigh. The first dinner and the first chance to fuck everything up. Nerves made his heart rate pick up. It was nothing. Virgil sucked in a breath as he pushed himself up from his bed and walked downstairs.

He took slow steps down the stairs, listening to the distant chatter between Patton and Logan in the kitchen. He tried to make out their words, but he could only hear a few insignificant words and even his own name a few times.

Patton beamed when Virgil walked into the kitchen, pausing his conversation with his husband. “Hiya, Virgil! Are you hungry?”

Virgil shrugged, glancing between the two men. “I could eat.”

“Great!” Patton smiled. “You eat meat, right?” Virgil nodded, and Patton looked relieved. “Well, Logan made steaks and potatoes. Does that sound good?”

“There is also a vegetable mix of carrots, broccoli, and snow peas,” Logan spoke up from his place near the stove.

A laugh bubbled from Patton at the grimace on Virgil’s face. “They’re healthy, kiddo. Gotta have some greens on your plate!”

“Marianne always made us eat vegetables with every meal… sometimes even breakfast. They’re disgusting,” the boy muttered.

“Logan is an excellent cook, buddy. I’m sure you’ll love it!” Patton gave a sweet grin, but it disappeared as his cell phone rang. He shot a concerned glance at Logan, and they seemed to converse with each other using only their eyes. Patton sighed, digging his phone out of his pocket and answering the call with hesitance.

Logan seemed to have a knowing look on his face as he stared at Patton’s back. Virgil glanced back and forth between the two men in confusion, wondering why they both seemed almost frightened by the call.

“I can’t come right now,” Patton said quietly into the phone. “I’m having dinner with my family right now.”

Logan sighed, and Virgil knew something was up. Where did Patton have to go?

“... Alright,” Patton resigned, closing his eyes and slumping his shoulders. “Alright. Yes, sir. Give me fifteen minutes.”

He ended the call and turned to Logan, a sad look on his face.

“I’m needed at work, Lo, I’m so sorry.” Patton bit his lip. “They won’t let me out of it.”

Logan frowned, nodding once at his husband. “Alright, Patton, I understand. We have more chances at dinner in the future.”

“Where… where are you going? Why can’t you stay?” Virgil asked, his voice quivering slightly with concern.  _ He was leaving. What if he didn’t come back? This could be it. Maybe he’s making up an excuse so he doesn’t have to see Virgil. _

Patton turned to Virgil, a sad smile on his face. “I have to go in to work. They… have a job for me, and it can’t wait. I’m sorry, kiddo. I promise we’ll have another family meal tomorrow.”

Virgil glanced down at the table, and picked at the loose strings on his hoodie.  _ Promises. People always made promises. Promises… were meant to be broken. _

“Kiddo? Are you alright?” Patton asked, and Virgil gave a small nod. “Don’t worry, Virgil. You and Logan can still have a nice dinner!”

Virgil picked his head up, locking eyes with Logan across the kitchen. Logan looked almost nervous, and Virgil frowned.

“... Yeah, alright. Have, uh, have fun at work, Patton,” Virgil mumbled. Patton’s smile faltered for a moment.

“Thank you, kiddo,” he said, and turned to give Logan a quick peck on the lips before heading out the front door.

Logan waited until he heard the door close before he spoke up. “I suppose it’s just me and you for dinner then, Virgil,” he said, grabbing plates of food and bringing them to the dining table. “Hopefully we can use this time to… get to know each other a bit better, yes?”

“Uh, yeah… sure,” Virgil mumbled. He wasn’t sure what to say to Logan. He feared the consequences of sharing too much about himself to the man, and he wasn’t even sure if he could trust him.

“Eat as much as you would like, Virgil. There’s plenty,” Logan said, sitting down in a chair across from the boy.

Virgil gently poked his fork into a piece of steak, and transferred it to his own plate as Logan did the same.

“Patton and I have been planning to enroll you in the nearest public school. It’s a middle school for grades six through eight. Is that alright?” Logan asked as Virgil scooped mashed potatoes onto his plate.

Virgil glanced up for a moment. “School?”

Logan nodded. “Yes. The school year has already begun, but you have not missed much of it.”

Great. Virgil would be the new kid. New to this town, new to the school, new to these people. Everything was too new. He had nothing familiar to cling onto anymore. This was his new life.

“I work at the high school adjacent to the middle school,” Logan continued. “So I will be nextdoor if you ever need anything.”

Virgil supposed that did provide  _ some _ comfort. He wouldn’t be  _ completely _ alone.

“You’re a… a teacher?” Virgil asked, then he stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth.

Logan nodded again. “I teach United States history to most of the eleventh graders. It’s a fascinating subject, really.”

“What about Patton’s job?” Virgil asked. Logan froze, his fork hovering just above his plate.

“... Patton’s job?”

Virgil nodded. “He said he had to leave for work, but he didn’t say what it was.”

Logan seemed to panic slightly, his eyes darted back and forth. “Well, Virgil,” he began, looking for the right words. “Patton’s job… he… does strange work, you see. He’s not… it’s not like a usual job. He-”

Logan was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. He seemed both relieved and irritated at the interruption.

“Dammit, I told him  _ not _ to come tonight,” Logan grumbled, he threw his napkin on the table and stood from his seat.

“Who?” Virgil asked, his eyes followed Logan as he walked through the living room and to the front door.

“My idiot brother.”

_ Oh no _ , Virgil thought.  _ Another person to meet. Another person to hurt. _

He could hear the muffled voices of two men arguing in the other room, and Virgil glanced around, looking for a way to escape. His eyes landed on the glass door that led to the backyard. Before he could make a move, however, he heard the two men coming closer.

“I  _ know _ what you said, Logan, but I just  _ had _ to come meet my new nephew!”

Virgil gritted his teeth.  _ No, no, no. These people… they can’t get too close to me. They can’t get attached. _

Virgil’s head shot up as the two men entered the kitchen. The man following Logan looked almost  _ exactly _ like him. Virgil wasn’t too surprised, though. They  _ were _ brothers, after all.

“Virgil, this is my brother,” Logan said unenthusiastic before turning to the other man. “Meet Virgil.”

“Greetings, little prince!” The man grinned. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Virgil. My name is Roman.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow and Logan shot an apologetic glance at him. “I  _ told _ him not to come tonight,” Logan sighed. “I wanted you to be able to settle in and get comfortable before being forced to meet new people.”

“Oh, but I couldn’t resist!” Roman bellowed. “When I heard that my little brother and his husband had adopted a kid, I just  _ had _ to come meet him!”

Logan rolled his eyes and sighed. “I guess I can’t really kick you out now. Sit down, there’s plenty of food.”

Roman glanced around with a confused look on his face, as if just realizing something. “Hey, where’s Patton?”

Logan tensed for a moment. “He… had to work.”

Roman scoffed. “Y’know, that boss of his is just…” He glanced at Virgil and bit his cheek, resisting the urge to say something. “He’s a real piece of work. The guy can’t even give Patton  _ one night off  _ to spend with his husband and new son.”

Logan nodded grimly, pushing the plate of steak towards Roman as he sat down where Patton would have been seated.

“Don’t you have rehearsal tonight?” Logan asked. Roman shrugged, scooping food onto his plate.

“I asked for the night off,” he replied casually.

Logan frowned. “Your show is in two weeks.”

“Yeah,” Roman said, taking a bite of steak. “I already know all of my lines and blocking. Besides, I’m not even in the entire show.” He looked over at Virgil, who had been silent the entire time, seeming extremely fascinated with the details of the wooden dining table.

“Virgil, do you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?” Roman asked. Virgil perked up, not expecting to be included in the conversation.

“Uh, kind of,” Virgil mumbled. “Marianne was an actress before she started fostering kids. She loved talking about Shakespeare.”

“Well, then you  _ must _ come see our production of it!” Roman beamed. “Perhaps your dad will take you,” he said, giving Logan a pleading look.

Virgil was confused for a moment before he remembered that Logan is technically his father now, and his shoulders slumped. “He’s not my father,” he whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear it. Roman and Logan exchanged confused and worried glances, but decided to drop the subject.

“Well,” Roman cleared his throat. “Do you have any hobbies, Virgil?”

Virgil scoffed, nodding as he remembered Patton asking him this exact same question. “Poetry,” he said flatly.

“Oh? Logan loves poetry! I’m more of an actor, myself,” Roman said, winking at his younger brother.

“Yeah,” Virgil responded. “I know.”

Roman faltered for a moment. “Who’s your favorite poet, Virgil?”

“Me.”

“Perhaps I could see some of your work sometime?” Roman inquired.

Virgil paused.  _ No one  _ had ever seen his work, and no one had ever really expressed any kind of interest in it.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” he shrugged.

Roman grinned at his brother. “See? He’s fine! You acted like he hated people so much!”

Logan rolled his eyes. “I was only looking out for his mental well-being. People with anxiety tend to be more evasive of other people,” he explained.

Roman turned back to Virgil. “Are you in school?”

_ God, why did everyone keep asking him about school? _

“I will be soon,” he said, chewing through a particularly tough piece of steak.

“Well, I may be wrong, but I do believe that there is a literature club at the local school. Maybe check it out -- I’m sure they’ll love your poetry.”

Virgil shrugged. His poems were only meant for himself, really. They were just ways for him to express his feelings.

“That would be a good way to get involved with your school, Virgil,” Logan piped in.

The boy shrugged once again. “Yeah, maybe,” he mumbled.

Logan turned to his brother. “Are you staying for the night? Should I prepare the guest room for you?”

Virgil was glad to have the conversation turned away from him. Socialization was  _ exhausting _ .

Roman shook his head. “No, I have to be at the theatre early tomorrow, so it’d be better if I just went back to my own house. It’s much closer,” he replied. “Besides, I’m sure you want Virgil to settle in peacefully.”

Logan nodded as both brothers stood, beginning to clear plates from the table. Virgil pushed his plate away from himself to signal that he was finished eating. The two brothers cleared the table quickly as Virgil sat in his chair, and fiddled with the string on his hoodie again.

Logan glanced down at Virgil and at the clock, “I believe that it’s time for bed soon. Be in bed before 10 pm. Or would you prefer…” Logan cleared his throat, “To be read to sleep?”

“No. I’m not a baby.” Virgil said, and sat up, “Never was.”

Roman left half an hour later. He heard his loud dramatic goodbyes to his brother and the call up to his room. Virgil nestled into his bed. He slipped into his old grey pajamas from his backpack. His bed was soft and the blanket smelled fresh like it had been in the wash. It was so different from the musty smells of his old home. 

_ School starts soon,  _ the voice mocked,  _ there’s plenty to mess up there.  _

Virgil closed his eyes shut. He prayed that he didn’t have any nightmares tonight. Maybe if he was lucky for once in his life, he wouldn’t hurt this new family, like he did to his own family. Didn’t he hear that history repeats itself? Virgil shook his head and pulled his covers over his head. 

No. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Virgil drifted off to sleep with a promise in his mind. Clear and resolute.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil has a nightmare and Logan sets some ground rules.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big, BIG thanks to wisepuma23 for helping me out with this, and writing pretty much the entire last half of the chapter. She's amazing, really, please go check out her work if you haven't already!
> 
>  **Warnings:** mentions of past abuse

_His father was drunk. Again. It was a very common occurrence for Virgil’s father to be drunk now. He would drink from the moment he woke up to the moment he passed out. It was a miracle he wasn’t dead yet._

_When his father got drunk, his anger issues surfaced quickly. A single step in the wrong direction would set him off, and Virgil would be subjected to listening to a screaming match between his parents which would occasionally end with black eyes and red knuckles._

_Virgil’s father rarely beat him. As long as Virgil was respectful and did well in school, he and his father would just stay in their own lanes. His mother, however, was always in the middle of everything. Her husband would abuse her and she would then turn and abuse Virgil._

_It was a cycle that Virgil never completely adjusted to. Tonight, it was happening again. His father stumbled through the front door, completely hammered, immediately seeking out his wife. She had been in the kitchen, remaking the dinner that Virgil had burnt._

_His father kicked the kitchen door open, shocking his wife as he grabbed her, skipping the argument part of the routine entirely. Virgil sat on the stairs, watching in fear as his father brutally battered his mother. She begged him for mercy, but he didn’t ease up. She desperately tried to crawl away, but there was hardly anywhere for her to go. Eventually, Virgil’s father became tired, and he stomped out to the living room, likely to pass out on the couch, as usual._

_Virgil watched his mother lay there for a few minutes. He wasn’t sure how tonight would play out. He needed to be able to prepare himself if he was going to be beaten that night, so he sat there for a few more moments, watching as his mother’s chest rose and fell heavily. Virgil’s breath hitched when she suddenly jerked, sitting up and facing away from him._

_“M...Mom?” His voice was small and filled with fear. His mother’s head snapped towards him, anger in her eyes. Virgil braced himself against the stair railing, waiting for her to make a move._

_She rose to her feet, beginning to stalk towards him._

_“Virgil!” She screamed, and he scrambled to his feet, tripping up the stairs as he struggled to get away._

_“Virgil!” He heard again, but the voice was… different this time. He felt a grip on his arm, but when he turned, no one was there._

_“Virgil!”_

“Virgil!” Patton shook him, and the boy jolted as he woke from his nightmare. His breathing was heavy as he glanced around the still-barren room, only seeing Patton with a gentle, concerned look in his eyes. His arm burned with physical contact and he flinched away.

“Don’t… don’t touch,” he whispered, and Patton hung his arms by his sides.

“Are you alright, kiddo?” He asked. “You seemed like you were having a nightmare.”

Virgil was silent as he hugged his knees to his chest. “I’m… I’m fine,” he muttered.

Patton frowned, obviously not believing him, but he knew he shouldn’t press the topic. “Well, Logan is downstairs making breakfast. We were planning to take you to the mall to get some more clothes and stuff, then we’re gonna go to the school to get you registered, okay?”

Virgil nodded, having only heard about half of Patton’s words. He was too focused on his nightmare. What if…

 _No,_ Virgil thought. _She’s dead. She’s dead and gone forever. Forever._

Virgil took a moment to control his breathing and Patton stared at him, eyes filled with worry.

“Are you sure you’re okay, kiddo?” Patton asked again. He wanted the boy to trust him, and the first step was to get Virgil to talk about his feelings when he was upset.

Virgil hugged himself as he shoved the images back into the recesses of his mind, “I-I’m fine. Don’t worry. Just a stupid nightmare.”

Patton reached out a hand to rub Virgil’s back, but he flinched away, and he dropped it back to the soft duvet. Right, no touching. He supposed he would get used to it even if it was a challenge personally. Patton worried his lip as he considered refraining from tactile assurance when he did it so often to the point it was ingrained. Maybe Virgil will change his mind in the future?

Patton plastered on a smile, “Well, that’s what we’re here for, kiddo! Anytime you have a nightmare or you’re feeling scared, you can come to me or Logan! He’s really quite comforting even if he doesn’t seem like it.”

Virgil rubbed his bleary eyes as he sat up from his bed, “Logan? You sure?”

Patton’s smile softened into something more real, “Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t know how I would’ve made it to today without him,” he looked down at his hands, “He forgives too easily. Sometimes I don’t like it,” Virgil tilted his head, then Patton hastily smiled again, “But that’s what I love about him!”

“Right,” Virgil said with an eye roll.

Virgil stood up and stretched with a loud yawn. Patton stood up and made the bed in a matter of seconds. Virgil’s stare was heavy on his back and Patton felt a flash of embarrassment at the old habit. Patton shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish expression. It’s not like he was spoiling Virgil. Right?

“Come on,” Patton said, motioning for Virgil to follow him. “Logan is probably wondering what’s taking us so long.”

Virgil nodded, following Patton out of the small bedroom and down the stairs. As they got closer to the kitchen, Virgil could hear the sizzling of something cooking. When he and Patton walked into the kitchen, Logan glanced over his shoulder and gave a small smile.

“Good morning, Virgil,” the man greeted him, turning back to the stove. Virgil hesitated for a moment, but before he could reply, Logan continued. “I was starting to wonder if you and Patton fell back asleep.”

Patton crossed the kitchen and placed a hand on his husband’s back, leaning to whisper something in his ear. Virgil watched as a frown spread across Logan’s face, which quickly turned into a look of sympathy. Virgil fidgeted where he stood. He could sense that they were talking about him, and he assumed Patton probably told Logan about the nightmare.

Logan cleared his throat, moving the last piece of french toast from the pan to a plate. “How did you sleep, Virgil?” He asked, topping the french toast with blueberries and sliced strawberries before bringing the plate to the table.

Virgil stared at the ground as he toyed with the loose strings on his grey pajama shirt. He was sure Logan already knew about the nightmare, but Virgil really didn’t want to talk about it any more than he already had done this morning with Patton. Dead horses should be left alone. Virgil hesitantly picked a seat at the table and sat down just after Logan and Patton did.

Virgil mumbled out, “Fine, whatever,” as he picked up a knife and fork and began to dig into his french toast.

“Pleased to hear that,” Logan said, not even pausing in his mission to cut his own french toast into more manageable pieces, “I would like to talk about the house rules for a minute.”

Virgil glanced up in surprise. Logan knew about his nightmare but he didn’t say anything. He caught Patton’s frown as he looked up from pouring an ungodly amount of syrup on his stack. Was he mad? Virgil felt a prickle of fear like the faint ghost of his mother’s fingers against his back.

Patton smiled with a bright beam, “Hold on, Lo. It’s okay to talk to us about your night--”

“That is not necessary,” Logan cut in, Patton made to rebuke but Logan’s glare was enough to halt it, “Everything will come in due time, and if they do not, then that is fine as well.”

Patton stared for a moment before turning to his breakfast, stabbing the fork into his french toast a bit harder than intended. He didn’t see Virgil’s automatic flinch but Logan did, and his professional demeanor faded for a moment. His lips turned downward and then he tugged it back up into his usual neutral line. Virgil stared at Logan again. This time with a faint sense of reluctant awe, Logan wore his emotions on his sleeve, with a rare sort of honesty he’s never seen. So unlike Patton.

Logan raised an eyebrow at Virgil, “It appears that you like my cooking.”

Virgil blinked and looked down at his plate. Crumbs drifted idly on the surface of the syrupy pool at the bottom. He didn’t realize he had scarfed down the entire stack in mere minutes. Virgil scratched his face as he looked away, “Yeah, it was good.”

Logan tugged his lips up into a faint smile, “Thank you, Virgil. I’m pleased to hear that. I can make more every morning if you like.”

Virgil’s cheeks heated up, “Well do whatever, I don’t care.”

Logan cleared his throat and grabbed the manila folder that he’d set aside. “Let’s get to those house rules,” he said, pulling a few sheets of paper out of the folder and sliding one across the table to Virgil.

“...The fuck is this?”

Logan grimaced, “We don’t use that sort of language in this household.”

“We don’t?” Patton said.

Logan sent another  _look_ his way, “We do not. I typed up some house rules last night and I will display them on the fridge. So neither of you will forget.”

Virgil crossed his arms as he slouched in his seat, “Ugh, this is lame.”

Patton turned his head in an attempt to read the papers from where he sat, “ _No foul language on these premises._ Logan, I didn’t know you put so much effort into this.”

Virgil picked up a page and squinted at it, “Are those...footnotes?” he glanced down at the other pages, “Wow, that’s a Works Cited page. For house rules. I can’t believe I’m saying this without seeming a huge hypocrite but...you are a giant nerd.”

Logan stared for a few moments before he adjusted his glasses, resigned, “Just read it from the beginning. Please.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, Logan didn’t seem so scary since he reminded him of the dad from Powerpuff Girls, “Fine. Blah blah, ordinances, more blah blah, ramif--ramifica--what is that?”

“Ramifications. Another word for consequences,” Logan said, and then with an innocent smirk, “If you need to build your vocabulary, I can recommend some books to you.”

“Do whatever,” Virgil said, hoping that he didn’t sound excited, “Oh here it is. Rule number one, no smoking. And this is just a list of health risks and...is that a link to a smoking PSA? Logan this is a paper, I can’t click on it.”

Patton leaned over and bopped the dark link, “You’re right, kiddo. No dice.”

Virgil skimped the papers again, “Rule number two, no cursing of any kind. What kind of curse words do you mean?”

Logan preened again at the chance to enlighten Virgil, “Words like fuck, shit, damn, but dang is permitted. There is also--” Logan paused as he heard a curious noise across the table, and realized Virgil was snickering into his hands, “Oh. It appears I’ve been deceived,” he clapped his hands mockingly, “Very clever.”

Virgil grinned, “I can’t believe you fell for that.”

Logan swept a hand toward the papers, “Continue onwards.”

“Rule number three, treat your parents with respect.” Virgil’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as his eyes froze on the typed words.

 _Respect_ , the voice in his head mocked. _You tried that last time, didn’t you? Look where that got you._

His real parents wanted respect, too, but that landed him in a foster home and with an utter disdain towards authority.

“Basically, we just want you to help out around the house if we ask you to and be kind. That also means no cursing at us,” Logan explained, not noticing Virgil’s sudden stiffness.

Virgil took a shaky breath as he looked up from the paper, eyes darting between the two men across from him before settling on the black print once again. “I… I understand, sir,” he mumbled.

Logan and Patton glanced at each other in confusion. Patton looked back at Virgil and there was a sudden fragility to the man. He forced a smile back on his face and moved his hand closer to Virgil’s on the table, “You--” he cleared his throat of the voice crack, “You don’t need to call us that. ‘Logan’ and ‘Patton’ are fine,” his smile was wider, “I promise, kiddo.”

Logan nodded his assent.

Virgil looked away, “Right.”

Patton’s smile fell when Virgil wasn’t looking at him anymore. Logan reached across the table and took Patton’s hand. He rubbed his knuckles in soothing circles until the expression faded away. Logan never liked it when Patton became upset, he could get, quite _irrational_. And Patton’s sobs were enough to make himself cry. He preferred to remain strong in front of Virgil.

The rustle of papers startled both of them out of their moment, “Alright, what more rules do you have? Here we go, rule number four, do the chores when asked.”

Logan raised an eyebrow, “I hope I don’t need to explain what I mean by that.”

“Psh, like I care.” Virgil flipped through the pages again, “Rule number five. Let my parents know where I am at all times for my own safety. Whhaaaaat?”

Patton brightened, “Of course, kiddo! If you have any club meetings or hanging out with your friends, just shoot either of us a text! We would be really worried if you just disappeared!”

“And if you’re in any danger, we would also need to know. Your safety and well-being matters to the both of us, Virgil,” Logan smiled, a bit awkwardly but Virgil appreciated he was trying, “And before you can ask, I did get you a phone.”

Logan stood up and picked up their plates and walked into the kitchen. Patton clapped his hands excitedly as Virgil tilted his head in confusion. From the kitchen, he heard the roll of a drawer being opened and then the quiet slam of it being shut moments later. Logan padded back to the dining room table with a white box in his hands and set it down.

Logan pushed it towards Virgil, “Please take good care of it. We aren’t tight on money but I prefer having it than losing it every month on a reckless misuse of a phone.”

Virgil’s eyes widened, it was an iPhone, several models behind the newest one. He gingerly pulled the top off and he lost his breath as he looked down at the shine of the iPhone. His iPhone. He never had a phone before.

“A gift?” Virgil whispered, “You’re giving me a gift?”

Logan smiled, the biggest one he’s seen on him yet, “Of course. Consider it as a welcoming gift into our family.”

Drops landed on the soft plastic cover. Virgil’s shoulders shook as he watched his reflection break down into sobs. He rubbed his eyes but with each swipe, the tears came down even faster. He could barely see through his tears as each sob tore out of him a painful memory.

A flash of agony and his back aches with the ghost of mottled bruises before it fades like an exorcised spirit. That awful, nasty little voice in him wailed in the hallways of his mind. Virgil hiccuped as he let the wail inside of him out.

He wasn’t there anymore.

Virgil distantly heard the screech of a chair and then felt two hands on his shoulders. His shoulders shook even harder as he pulled up his knees and buried his face into them. He realized it was Logan who comforted him. He ignored the blaring alarms in his head as he leaned into the warm soothing motions.

He just.

He just wanted a hug.

Patton appeared and set a blanket around his shoulders. Virgil shuddered out a wet sigh of relief. His eyes felt cold and his throat scratchy. Virgil slumped into the warm blanket as a cold glass of water pressed into his hand. He shot a grateful look up at Patton and drank it with a sigh. The ice cubes softly clinking against each other did wonders for his nerves.

Logan looked at him over his glasses, “Will it make you feel better to know you have school tomorrow?”

Virgil’s hands hadn’t stopped shaking yet but his smirk came easy, “No. Just kill me now. School is gonna suck.”

Logan smiled, “Killing you would be against rule number 6.”

Virgil whipped around to the papers as he croaked out, “What?”

Patton also made a noise and flipped through the pages to look for it, “Rule number 6, no one in the family is permitted to be murdered,” he looked back up with shiny eyes, “Oh, _Logan._ ”

Logan coughed, “I am very strict with that rule.”

Patton threw himself into Logan’s arms and pulled him into a tight hug. Logan blinked and then relaxed into his husband’s arms. A faint blush reddened his cheeks as he buried his face into Patton’s shoulder, squeezing right back. Logan closed his eyes and let the presence of Patton soothe him. Patton sniffled by his ear. Oh no no no, don’t--

“Yuck,” Virgil said as he made gagging noises, “I think this is my cue to go. Eugh.”

Patton huffed out a laugh as Virgil noisily left the room. Both of them pulled away but not quite letting the other go just yet. Patton ran a hand down Logan’s cheek with a faint smile. Logan leaned into it with a soft kiss against his palm, “What are we going to do with that boy?”

“Love him, of course. Sure he’s a little rascal but he’s our little rascal now,” Patton kissed him soundly on the lips with a smack, “I have faith in us, Lolo.”

Logan looked at the empty doorway, “I hope you have enough for the both of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeey thanks for reading!!! 
> 
> gosh im so excited to be working with virgil again <33 
> 
> leave some kudos and comments, love ya guys!


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